Angel City
by Kandiman
Summary: It's the beginning of a whole new life for Lucas and Peyton, as they and baby Sawyer start a new life for themselves in Los Angeles.
1. Chapter 1: City Of Angels  Prologue

_**Angel City**_

Author's note: This fan-fic largely ignore Mark Schwahn's stated canon that Leyton are travelling the world. Otherwise this story would've been a nightmare to write. Everything that happened in the first six seasons remains unchanged. _Angel City_ should be considered an unofficial 'spin-off' from the original show, the _One Tree Hill _equivalent of _Frasier_. Except I've written it like a book.

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Disclaimer: The following is a work of ongoing _One Tree Hill_-based fan-fiction. Characters originating in the show (including, but not limited to, Lucas Scott, Peyton Scott, Sawyer Scott, Karen Roe, Lindsay Strauss, Andy Hargrove and Lily Scott) belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Brothers Television and their associates. _One Tree Hill _is a trademark of Warner Brothers Television and is used out of love because getting permission would've been a nightmare. Please don't sue!

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**Chapter One: City Of Angels (Prologue)**

_Marcel Proust one wrote that "time, which changes people, does not alter the image we have retained of them." With so much time behind us, with so many changes in ourselves and the people we have left behind, we know that in out heart of hearts, the important things never change. In spite of thousands of miles between us, the friendships remain strong, the family bonds permanent and the ties that bind us ever-strengthened by the passing of time._

It was late afternoon when Lucas Scott first caught sight of the Pacific Ocean. He and Peyton had taken it in shifts to take charge of driving, sleeping and parenting duties on the long drive from their hometown of Tree Hill, North Carolina to the west coast. Peyton had been asleep since they crossed into California and he was happy to let her rest.

After the recent birth of their daughter, Sawyer, they'd decided that it was time to leave their old lives behind and seek a new adventure for themselves. It was finally time to leave their childhood memories behind and start a real, independent life as adults, as a real, married couple. As a family.

Would they miss North Carolina? Of course. All their oldest friends were there. But those guys had long since grown up and gotten on with their lives; Lucas' best friend Haley was a successful singer-songwriter and teacher. Peyton's best friend was now universally known as _the_ Brooke Davis, founder of Clothes Over Bros. Lucas' half-brother, Nathan, had recently signed to play in the NBA for the Charlotte Bobcats. It was almost as if their friends and family had left them behind.

Lucas and Peyton had been successful in their own right, of course, though Lucas' career as a novelist had hit something of a standstill following the release of his second novel, _The Comet._ Peyton, meanwhile, had found success in starting her own record label, Red Bedroom Records, which she'd left under the management of Haley and her distribution partner, John Knight.

Lucas couldn't help noticing that motherhood had changed Peyton's priorities a little. Sure, she was still proud of her accomplishments, she loved running Red Bedroom Records, but now she was focussed on motherhood. It hadn't replaced her love of music - she'd talked excitedly for much of the journey about getting involved in the LA music scene - but it had rearranged her priorities. Lucas, meanwhile, was hoping that a change of scenery and a change of circumstance might inspire his writing.

As he drove the trusty Comet along the I-10, he caught a glimpse of the glamour of Beverly Hills to the north. He'd been to Los Angeles before, of course, but for Lucas Scott, a small-town boy from North Carolina, to actually be moving there was a surreal experience. He knew he needed to make a turn, to head for the new house just off Santa Monica Boulevard but he had something he wanted to do first. He carried on driving, finally pulling to a stop at the end of Colorado Avenue. The jolt of the car stopping finally caused Peyton to stir back to life.

"Are we there yet?" she asked, still half-asleep.

"Sorry, we didn't mean to wake you."

"That's alright, what's going on, where are we?"

"We're nearly at the new house, I just wanted to make a quick stop for Sawyer."

Lucas climbed from the car, reaching into the backseat to free Sawyer from her chair. As he held his daughter in his arms, all he could think was that she was the most beautiful and precious little girl in the world. He knew that every father thought that and, once upon a time, he might even have been a little cynical. Fatherhood was changing him. As Peyton gathered her things and stepped from the car, Lucas and Sawyer came around to join her. Grabbing her hand, Lucas lead Peyton into their future, towards the bright light of the setting sun and on to Santa Monica Pier.

"Sawyer," he said, "take a look at this. This is the Pacific Ocean. And it's right on our doorstep."


	2. Chapter 2: Hearts Burst Into Fire

**Chapter Two: Hearts Burst Into Fire**

_Walt Disney once said that "A man should never neglect his family for business." It's hard to disagree with his sentiment but sometimes it's too easy to agree with the opposite. George Bernard Shaw once wrote that "Happiness is a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city."_

_On balance, both men are right. Having a family is the greatest blessing that any man can ask for, though perhaps, you could argue, in moderation._

They had stayed on the pier to watch the sun set. Just one happy family united at the edge of the world, staring out at the vast, wild ocean. As the light faded, the warm afternoon sunshine turned into a mild summer night and it was time for the family to head home. As they all climbed back into the car, it was time to discover the true meaning of family. Finding the house was easy - the benefit of Peyton's lost years in LA was that she had some local knowledge - and they pulled up to the house shortly after nine.

"Oh my God!" said Peyton, upon seeing the house, "You never told me it was a mansion!"

"That's Andy for ya. Modesty was never his strong point."

"Yeah but… would you look at this place? It's practically a palace! I gotta show Brooke!"

With that, Peyton took out her phone, snapped a picture and sent it to everyone. She was in shock and she knew they would be too. It was at that moment that the door opened and the welcoming party emerged; Karen and Andy smiling happily as Lily ran to the car to hug her big brother as he stepped out.

"Damn, Andy," Lucas exclaimed, "When you said you were going to take charge of finding us a house in L.A. I thought you meant, you know, a _house_. I'm pretty sure this place has enough bedrooms that we could invite everyone we've ever met over for a sleepover and still rent out a wing or two!"

"You don't like it?"

"I love it. I can't afford it, but I love it."

"Consider it a late wedding present."

"Thank you"

As they shared a man hug, Karen spotted her baby granddaughter.

"There's my little girl!"

She almost snatched Sawyer from Peyton's arms, cradling her like she had with Lucas all those years ago.

"She's been looking forward to seeing her grandma," Said Peyton, "talking of which, how is grandma?"

"Feeling older every time she hears the word 'grandma' and really happy to be back on dry land. C'mon, leave all that stuff in the car and come inside, we'll get it later."

The girls and Andy went inside, leaving Luc to grab the essentials. It was at that moment that he heard a familiar voice…

"Hey neighbour, welcome to my town!"

"Hey, if it isn't Reese Dixon! How you doing, man?"

"I'm good, I'm good. What brings you to town?"

"Me and the family needed a change, thought we'd head west. So you live around here, huh?"

"Right across the street. You should stop by, actually. I've got a couple of projects that could use a writer's eye."

"You got it. First thing in the morning?"

"Done. Welcome to LA, Lucas Scott."

"It's feeling like home already."

As Luc made it inside the house, he found himself in the middle of an amazing family scene as Karen, Andy and Peyton sat drinking coffee in what could only be described as the most stylish designer kitchen he'd ever laid eyes on, everything in the house was the best that money could buy. He may not be any kind of replacement for Lucas' uncle Keith, but ever since he came back into Karen's life he'd done his best by Lucas and Lily, and it was hard not to respect him for that.

"So… who was that?" asked Andy, as Karen got up to pour Lucas a cup.

"Reese is an old friend of mine from Tree Hill; he was the director on the 'Unkindness Of Ravens' movie."

"An old friend?" laughed Peyton, "You can't stand that guy. What was it that you said about him? That watching him snorting cocaine reminded you of the drill instructor from _Full Metal Jacket_? Something about a golf ball and a garden hose?"

"Okay, he has his problems but who knows? Maybe he'll be a useful guy to know around here. He asked me to go see him in the morning about a project he's working on."

"Sounds like fun, Luc." said Karen, handing him his coffee, "talking of which, we kind of have another surprise for you."

He took a long sip. If there was anything he'd missed as much as having his mom around, it was her legendary coffee.

"Your mother and I were thinking," Andy continued, "that you guys have driven half the night, probably haven't stopped to eat in hours. We know it's late, but if you leave now we've got a table booked for the two of you at this wonderful little Italian we found."

Andy handed Luc a card, it was finely engraved with the name "Gino's" - clearly a classy restaurant.

"What about Sawyer?" Peyton asked, "She's pretty tired from all that travelling."

"I think we can handle her," Karen assured her, "besides, how much time have the two of you had to yourselves since she was born?"

"You know," Peyton said, sidling up to Luc, "it would be nice if it were just the two of us for a night."

"I dunno, I'm kinda tired from all that driving…"

"Please?"

She was making those begging, puppy dog eyes. Luc was powerless to refuse.

"Are you guys sure you'll be okay with Sawyer?"

"We just went sailing around the world with a toddler," Karen smiled, "I think we can handle baby Sawyer just fine."

"Thanks guys," said Luc, grabbing his coat, "we'll be back as soon as we can."

"Take your time," said Andy, "we can handle it. And make sure they know this one's on me."

"You don't need to do that."

"I want to. Go have some fun!"

"C'mon, Luc," said Peyton, "let's get out of here before they change their minds!"

"Oh, Luc?" said Karen.

"Yeah, Mom?"

"Leave the car keys here. We already called you a cab."

Luc dropped the keys on the counter and gave his mother a hug; a night just to themselves was exactly what he and Peyton needed.

"We really appreciate this." said Luc.

"Call us if you need us to come back." Said Peyton.

Lucas dragged her out the door, giggling in that way that always made him smile. He couldn't remember the last time it had just been about the two of them out on the town, being themselves.


	3. Chapter 3: Trouble

**Chapter Three: Trouble**

_Jane Austen once wrote: "Surprises are foolish things. The pleasure is not enhanced, and the inconvenience is often considerable." I used to like surprises, but getting older and starting a family adds value to the predictable. The only welcome surprise is no surprises at all._

Gino's was as lavish as the card suggested it might be; a large, open plan dining room with high ceilings and reproductions of famous renaissance paintings adorning the walls. The waiters moved quickly and silently between the tables, the picture of professionalism. Around them, a selection of the rich and famous - the Hollywood glitterati - takes meetings and dines with friends.

At the door, Gino himself welcomes diners. He had known Lucas and Peyton were coming, he knew that they were family to Andy and, because of that, he treated them like his own children. He was in his ate fifties, overweight, and almost stereotypically Italian. The food had forever changed Lucas' standards; it was by far the finest Italian meal he had ever tasted. As he finished his glass of wine, he looked into Peyton's eyes. She looked happy and relaxed, the most relaxed he'd seen her since Sawyer was born.

"What are you thinking about?" she asks.

"Desert."

"You just ate desert!"

"I didn't mean that kind of desert," he smiles, drawing a laugh from his wife. He loved to hear her laugh; it was the one sound in the whole world that could take all of his troubles away at once. And in moments like this, where he didn't have any troubles-

His cell phone began to ring. It was Lindsey. He wondered what she could possibly want; she'd told his that she couldn't be his editor anymore. He hadn't heard a word from her since she left Tree Hill, though he'd heard that she wasn't taking the news of his marriage to Peyton well.

Peyton grabbed his phone from the table. "What does she want?"

"I don't know."

"You're not going to answer it?"

"Wouldn't that be kinda weird?"

Peyton shoots him a look, the one that simply says 'I trust you, you idiot.' He answers.

"Lindsey? Hi!" He immediately wonders if he sounds too friendly.

"Luke, hi. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

Luke takes a look at Peyton. She's texting.

"No."

"Good. Listen, I've been told to call you; you're supposed to be working on a new book, but nobody has heard from you for weeks. I mean, I know you've just got married and you're a father now and everything but-"

There was a tinge of sadness in her voice. He knew this was hard for her.

"Lindsey… are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine, Luke. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, this is kind of strange, isn't it?"

"Luke, I'm over it, seriously," for some reason, her words hurt him a little, "and besides, I'm your editor. We have to work together. It's my job to make you work."

"You said you didn't want to be my editor anymore, Lindsey."

"The company feels like nobody else can handle you, Luke. Like nobody else can get you to write. I don't want to be doing this, believe me, it's just-"

"You don't have a choice?"

"Right. Look, I'm going to be in LA this weekend. I think we should meet up, see what you've got going on."

"I don't think that's a good idea," he said, "I don't want to make things harder for you."

"Luke, this is just business. You've moved on. _I've_ moved on. I'll see you this weekend. No excuses."

As she hung up on him, Lindsey took a moment to compose herself, to reflect. She knew she wasn't over him, but she didn't have any choice, either. Why hadn't she quit? Why hadn't she just walked away? If she worked somewhere else, she'd never have been put in this position. But she knew, deep down, that this was exactly the reason she hadn't done it.

She couldn't deny it: She was still in love with him. She'd always be in love with him.


End file.
